


Through Rose Coloured Glasses

by puddlejumper99



Series: Tumblr Prompts [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Adoption, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, children doing children things, neil loves Exy in every universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-14 01:24:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18042809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puddlejumper99/pseuds/puddlejumper99
Summary: a collection (hopefully) of short ficlets set in a world where neil and andrew are adopted at a young age and grow up as best friends.





	Through Rose Coloured Glasses

**Author's Note:**

> anon asked: hi for the prompt maybe mini andreil? as in they are childhood friends. neil has uncle stuart and andrew has bee and they are like 11&12 and fooling around with each other :D
> 
> warnings for very vague implications of child abuse vis a vis Andrew and Neil's canon childhood. With a bonus addition of Dadmack! because i love him. 
> 
> (i think this is gen rating, but if you think i should up it to T just let me know!)
> 
> decided to post this here just in case tumblr eats it :)

“It’s so unfaaaair,” Neil whined, ripping a chunk of grass out of the ground. “Kevin gets to go.”

“Kevin is twelve,” Andrew said. “You’re not.”

“I’m way better than any of the other twelve-year-old’s on Kevin’s team.”

Andrew rolled his eyes. Kevin had been away at Exy summer camp for a day and a half, and Neil would  _not_  shut up about it. “You’re too short to play with the bigger kids.”

Neil scowled, ripping up some more grass and dumping it on Andrew’s legs. “I’m not that short. I’m almost as tall as you.”

“Are not.”

“Are so!”

“Are  _not._ ”

Neil flopped on his back, heaving a big sigh. “I hate summer.”

“You’re a loser.”

Neil chucked another handful of grass at him. The wind caught it and blew half of it into Andrew’s face. He spluttered, spitting grass out of his mouth while Neil laughed. His reddish-brown hair fell into his eyes and Andrew’s chest did a weird squeezy thing, his face going warm.  

Andrew kicked him in the leg. “I hate you.”

Neil grinned up at him. “Do you think Coach would let us borrow a couple racquets?”

“Why?”

“So we can go play at the park.”

“What if I don’t  _want_  to play Exy?”

“I’m  _bored_.”

“That’s your problem.”

“You’re such a jerk,” Neil muttered, rolling onto his stomach. “Do you want to go swimming? We could go up to the lake. You could borrow Kevin’s bike.”

“You don’t even like swimming.”

“I don’t like swimming with my class. They always stare at me.”

“Why?”

Neil shredded grass between his fingers, shrugging. “Because I’m messed up.”

“You’re not messed up.”

Neil kept ripping up grass, not looking at Andrew. “My dad used to…hurt me. When I was bad, or too loud, or he was angry. It’s really ugly.”

The warmth in Andrew’s chest went out as if he’d plunged into icy water. He grabbed Neil’s chin, pulling his face up until he had to meet Andrew’s gaze. His blue eyes went wide, staring up at Andrew.

“Neil. Is he—” He couldn’t finish the sentence. Phantom hands tugged at his hair and a wave of fierce protectiveness washed over him. He’d never let anyone hurt Neil like that.  _Never_. “We could tell Bee. You don’t have to stay here.”

“What?” Neil’s expression cleared. “Not  _Coach._  No, Andrew, it’s okay. I’m adopted.”

“Oh,” Andrew said, sitting back on his heels. He dropped his hand a second later, the sudden fear blowing out of him like a candle in the breeze. 

A smile peeked out of Neil’s eyes as he leaned forward, poking Andrew in the stomach. “It’s okay. I forgot I didn’t tell you.”

Andrew hunched his shoulders, embarrassment creeping up the back of his neck. “You don’t even call him dad. I should have guessed.”

“It’s fine,” Neil said, rolling over and sprawling in the grass. 

The breeze washed the smell of budding flowers and freshly cut grass over them. The meadow behind Coach’s house was a riot of colours, a tiny creek burbling just out of sight. Andrew couldn’t think of anything to say to cover up his bungle. He should’ve known that Neil was like him. It was why they’d become friends in the first place.

“My dad was a really bad person,” Neil said, breaking the silence. “My mom took me away when I was seven. She and Kevin’s mom were friends, so she left me with Coach. She said she’d come back for me when it was safe.”

Andrew waited for a long second, but there was nothing more forthcoming. “She never came back.”

Neil stared upwards, eyes distant. “No.”

Andrew lay down beside Neil, staring up at the sky. Lines of clouds streaked the sky, like the knitted sweaters Bee was always making. Neil shifted until their arms were touching and Andrew found he didn’t mind.

“I’m adopted too,” he said. “I was in foster care before Bee found me.”

“Oh,” Neil said, rolling onto his side to study Andrew with his too-blue eyes. “What was foster care like?”

Andrew closed his eyes against the memories pressing against the inside of his skin. He took a deep breath, leaning into Neil’s warmth, grounding himself with the breeze, the tickle of grass against the back of his neck. “Bad,” he said.

Neil made a quiet, understanding sort of noise. Andrew sat up abruptly, grabbing Neil’s arm and hauling him to his feet.

“What are you doing?” Neil asked, scrambling to get his feet under him.

“Going to get some racquets,” Andrew said, pulling Neil towards the house. “The lake sucks, anyway.”

Neil’s face lit up and he ran ahead, pushing the sliding door open and skidding into the living room. “Coooooach!” he shouted, his voice echoing. 

Andrew stepped over the doorway into Neil’s living room. There were dozens of pictures up on the wall of Neil’s family. The biggest one hung over the fireplace, an image of Coach with Kevin and Neil on either side of him, wearing their little league uniforms. Beside it was a slightly smaller frame with a little black ribbon in the corner, holding an image of Kevin and a woman with matching bright green eyes.

Coffee rings and empty mugs covered all available surfaces, and stacks of books and files littered the floor. It would drive Bee mad, Andrew thought.

Coach Wymack emerged from his study, rubbing his eyes. “What do you want?”

Neil was completely unperturbed by his adopted-dad’s gruff tone. “Can Andrew and I borrow racquets?”

Wymack blinked down at him. “School ended three days ago and you want to play Exy already?”

“Pleeeeease?”

Coach huffed, ruffling Neil’s hair. “Go ahead. Take your phone with you.”

“Yes! Thank you!” He grabbed Coach around the middle, squeezing quickly before dashing off into the hallway.

Andrew felt a familiar turn in his stomach at being alone in a room with an adult man, but he took a deep breath, counting like Bee had taught him. Wymack was safe; if Neil trusted him, Andrew would too.

“Do you have a phone?” Wymack asked.

Andrew nodded.

“Good. Neil always forgets to charge his. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

Neil appeared in the doorway, arms full of gear. “Are you coming?”

Andrew gave Wymack a nod and followed Neil into the hallway. Exy was kind of annoying, especially with Kevin getting super competitive at practice all the time.

With Neil, though, it was kind of fun. Not that he’d ever tell  _Neil_  that.

**Author's Note:**

> i may write more in this, but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> also on [tumblr](https://writingpuddle.tumblr.com/post/182384829910/hi-for-the-prompt-maybe-mini-andreil-as-in-they)


End file.
